Players:
Summary: Some new villains show their faces, Songbird applies some justice as Caleb gets caught in the middle, MACH-IV arrives in time to back up his fellow Thunderbolt.
Date: July 20th, 2010.
Log Title: Fire, Thunder and Lightning
Rating: R.
NYC - Alphabet City
Alphabet City used to be the slums of New York City, but now it's a trendy part of the East Village. Its name comes from the Avenues having single letter names. Apartments have been renovated into nightclubs, restaurants, and retail-establishments. Even though this part of the city isn't home to as many of the low income and artists residents, it still holds a Bohemian feel..
Night was creeping in and one side of the daytime life in Alphabet City was shutting down while the other was starting up. Neon lighting of night clubs hit the streets and cast odd lighting out and over the sidewalks, mixing the colors of the fading light of the sun with blue's and purple's - red's and orange's. The waning flow of bodies during business hours was transforming into the night life at a small trickling pace.
Melissa was stepping out of the Cafe with a cup in her hand, the drink within steaming out of the lid, her wrist rotating to mix the contents idly while her head lowered to spill the mixture of white and pink strands around the cup as she inhaled the much needed espresso, her other hand hefting the backpack back over her shoulder. Between studying and recent need of thought her mind wasn't letting her sleep…And the coffee was little help.
Upon leaving the coffee shop a loud shriek would be heard followed by a,"Help us please! Someone call the cops!!"
Several bystanders around the street passing by or closing up for the night, even entering the clubs would turn to spy what the trouble was. There gliding down the street on high tech roller blades was a dark skinned woman with a muscular build, frame wise she looks just like Man-Killer with curly black hair and dusky skin. Behind her a man was running as well, covered in fur from head to toe. Both of them looked frantic and fearful, "Someone please help!" Cries from both would echo throughout Alphabet City. Melissa was directly in the path of the brick-house of a female who looked like she was not going to be slowing down in the least.
Feck!, it's getting late and Caleb IS going to stick to his curfew, he IS gonna be a good boy, still if he didn't live underground he could have taken Jay's offer of a ride home, but noooo Barnes has to be a secret UNDERGROUND facility, he's dressed in dark jeans, a dark blue buttoned shirt, his usual roxas airwalk trainers and his violet eyes are glowing faintly as is the yellow stone on the silver wristband on his right wrist, he's half joking though what seems to be a part of town big on nightlife when he hears a a shout for help.
The sight of two not-so-helpless looking people with fear stricken in their eyes and pace gave Melissa a reason to pause despite the need to get the hell out of the muscle bound woman and her furry companion moving at hyper speed. It seemed like the debate came in time as her eyes darted from her hand holding her coffee and the small niche back and out of the way, but in time didn't mean perfect scathing of being stampeded. The backpedal had her back thudding against the brick of the barista she just exited and the hot coffee sloshing up and out of her cup to spill over her hand causing instinct to make her drop it with a clatter to the ground.
"Ou-hell!" Shaking the dark tanned liquid off her hand her eyes followed the two and snapped back to try and catch what might have been following them while her own persuit began before she even registered it. Her feet were following the duo despite the mind's cry to leave it alone, she was a student now, not a hero.
The furry man turned around a brave yell coming from him."Hell with it Cyborga! No more running, lets fight them." He braced himself looking towards the edge of the building as a flying muscled European punk-rocker with flaming hair and arms came around the corner.
"Oh boy you made a mistake Furtrap." The flames on the soaring man's arms lit brighter.
The woman on the skates spun around, "You're an idiot, Solaro will kill you!" A new voice joined them, these dueling super beings were obviously clueless to the presence of Caleb and Melissa.
"And I will kill you." A females laughter echoes down the alleyway to Melissa's left, behind Cyborga coming from the shadow beyond. The source of the musical voice unseen.
Hair began to sprout in all directions out of Furtrap, grabbing onto a light post.
Cyborga's eyes were wide as she looked around them seeking escape. "No use running you ugly cow. I am going to dance in your bloody organs!"
As usual Caleb hasn't exibited much sense, he's gone to investigate the source of the call for help and turned up at a scene where a bunch of supers are gonna have a smackdown, "Why did i not just keep walking", but still not he's fight, turn around and walk home, do it, ok not gonna happen, still DO NOT get involved, it will only make the situation worse.
The cease of fleeing and the capture of Solaro's image in her sights had her steps being taken back into the alley. When things got like this make like Superman right? Find the nearest phonebooth or bathroom and suit up. The alley was the closest option but a females voice ringing out from there behind her had her stopping in even that motion. The backpack held on her shoulder had her grip tightening and grinding over the canvas strap. Her indecisiveness in most things these past few days had her suit taking dominance over books but the time to change into that was becoming limited, her other hand sliding into the pocket of jeans and withdrawing her cell phone but keeping it low, her eyes darting to it to debate calling for backup or just take this on her own if possible. The phone was put back and her steps had her slowly stepping back towards the door of the barista and within if she was not stopped. Another bystander wanting out of dodge.
One of the watchers -Caleb- would be the one to see the next assailant near enough the black shadow would 'leap' over him, lightning like electricity crackling off of it like tracers, this form would land in a crouch not far from the young student. a ninja. that is all you could sum it's appearance as covered in black from head to toe. From both hands light snapped and flickered towards the air.
Furtrap's head craned not trying to look away from the flying torch so it could see the new arrival as well, they were doomed he knew it."You also Shadowvolt…" A whip like vine of hair snapped out towards the ninja which effortlessly evaded it only to be trailed after, another one swung out towards the flying man both of these coming from the furry form.
Almost in unity Shadowvolt and Solaro gripped onto the hair launched at them, "What was that a suicide attack Furtrap? What'd you think ya were about to do mate?" Lightning crackled down one fur strand and fire down the other, in the center the furry man was illuminated like a colorful orange to blue bulb of screams.
Cyborga released a cry of despair and turned beginning to run, shielding her eyes from the figure who had not shown itself in the shadows. "You idiot Furtrap, you idiot, oh my god, oh my god."
Then a form did appear from the shadows this one was not a little girl as the voice had sounded to be but a tall man in long black robes wearing a dark hat, with lantern jaw features. "Your god indeed! I have arrived."One of his hands rose and he threw them out fingers extend as Cyborga's techno-blades began to collapse and crumple, deteriorating the muscular woman tumbling and skidding across the road. "Behold, members of my flock, those who would run and turn away from us!" The man in black was hovering, levitating as if he was walking upon the shadow behind him the owner of the female's voice was now seen, a school girl, darkly attractive with a wide red-painted Joker's smile.
Caleb instinctivly phases as the electro-ninja guy jumps over him, "Feck, not another one", he watches as the furry guy lights up and another guy step out of the shadows, ok even the dumbest person can see the he is soooooooooo out of his depth here, but his Barnes cell phone has a panic button, Caleb slips it out of his pocket and unphases pressing the button, hoping someone who can handle this will be sent over.
Inside the bathroom it was not hard to hear the cries of the people in the shop watching with awestruck eyes what was going on outside. "They are lighting him on fire!" "He is a beacon of light.." "Mutant looks like he belongs in one of the clubs as an.." Hell. Hell. Hell. It was a chant as she desired to move faster getting the suit on and snapping the carapace in place that gave her typical vocals the sonic amplification needed. Without this she would be in just as bad of a spot as whomever they were making crispy outside, which only made her want to move faster. Bolting past the bystanders "safely" behind glass and brick she hit the door and moved back out into the street, dropping her cell phone opened and the seconds ticking down that she had made a call to the number Abe and Atlas had given her. She did not have time to talk though so she would just let them listen. It did not take long before Songbird now, was mid air on her own created wing structure, hovering above the group and releasing a solid sound barrier to encompass the one called Furrtrap and begin lifting him off the ground, hopefully out of reach and safe, if he was even still alive.
Furtrap had crumpled in on himself a smoldering husk of ruin as Songbirds powers lifted him aloft protecting him from continued attack the flying Solaro swept his gaze towards her,"Well hello luv, seems we got a new birdy to play with." The ninja on the ground snapped his head up to look at Songbird as well his hands waving in the air and he was casting electrical bolts towards her in a dazzling display erupting after those came jets of flame as well from the direction the other man was. Both were now attacking her instead of the downed Furtrap.
Cyborga was in trouble of her own, crying and holding her legs as they began to rot from the ankles up, shadows rising up around them."NO stop! I'll come back, please I'll rejoin, I promise!"
The black shrouded man hovered above her his hand extended as it rose so did the shadow. "No… you have turned your back on me, on your brethren so we now turn our back on you, we cast you out - to oblivion."
The girl behind him had a smile that amazingly grew larger, splitting her beautiful youthful face into a row of sharp jagged teeth that turned her into a nightmare. "Let me eat her…" She cooed.
"Hello, this Abe… oh Melissa, glad you called. Melissa? Hello? What is going on, hello?" This sound muffled. It didn't take more than that for help to be signaled.
Caleb watches as this new person shows up, did Barnes send her or was she just around, either why she's got a phone too, she might be calling for help!, still his eyes are drawn to the Cyborga person, he can't just let her…, he steps as far back into the shadows as he can then concentrates and fires a blast of purple energy in the direction of the shadow guy, "Please don't see me, please don't see me".
Songbird had at least successfully gotten the attention off of Furtrap, lowering him back down and leaving him in that encasement of solid sound while the attention unfortunately was all on her. "Hopefully someone answered the damn phone…" It was a low murmur, but she did not have too much time to focus on that as her flight had her banking left to try and swerve away from the incoming attack of electricity while responding to Solaro. "I should warn you, I play rough." In return to the electricity, she sent back another blast of solid sound, seeking to capture the electricity sent her way as well as the electric ninja inside, letting him be his own sparking globe until he wore himself out. From the corners of her eyes though she caught the sight of the slowly rotting woman and the spark of purple that flew towards them. That was a new one on her, where'd that come from?
A back flip almost had Shadowvolt clearing the sound globe as his electric attack crackled around the solid sound wave that turned globe, illumination bouncing back and forth within, it didn't hurt him it just lit him up. A few chops kicks and swings before the masked figure realized he was encased, calmly it sat down and folded it's legs under itself staring intently at Songbird.
Solaro hurls himself forward superhuman strength backed by flight and he was ramming himself full speed at Songbird, "I recognize you, you were a Thunderbolt! A crook just like us."
Cyborga was falling backwards her mouth wide as she was screaming at the top of her lungs, already the shadow had consumed her up to the middle of her thighs.
The man in black was smiling a glee in his features until a purple bolt of energy fired by Caleb took him off of his feet sending him crashing into a sprawl of shadows, "ARGH!! Ugh… it hurts! Who dare strikes the Dark One!"
The school girl looked up, following the purple light towards it's source something about her wasn't natural, she was seeking out Caleb's eyes her mind was pressure, seeking his very psyche, sickening invading and twisted, the girl was a psychic. "Look at me, look how pretty I am." She whispered, the wide smile gone as she was once again deliciously youthful and attractive.
Caleb sighs in relief when the shadow guy is knocked down, but then theres this feeling in the back of his mind compelling him to step out of the shadows for a better look at the pretty girl…
The intent stare of the ninja gone electrode and zen might have disturbed Songbird if she had time to focus on that as the force of Solaro barrelled at her. One thing she easily recalled in past training, use their own weight and force against them… Though he had it super strengthened and it was likely going to hurt them both, she had little time to move and twisted in flight hopefully in enough time to bring her up along side Solaro with the force he was coming at her with. Turning fully with his impact into her side to bring down her elbows and slam him mid back to send him towards the ground and out of the air with her own hit form. "*Was* a crook. Not any more!"
Solaro wasn't too harmed by the elbow slam but he was spiraling towards the ground landing with a bone cracking 'thud' the close proximity to the streets they were fighting obviously forgotten. Unlike her he was an amateur, something she could have said years ago but not now. The black clad form shot forward leap with a knee at the bubble surrounding him having waited long enough believing he found a weak point.
The girl was boldy walking towards Caleb who was held in her stare, she was now in his mind, wrapped into and around it, threaded through it. As long as they kept gazes locked; moving across the street she maintained the appearance of beauty until she was directly in front of him, her lips moved and she whispered "Pain" that was when Caleb would feel the onset of pure unbridled agony, a bio-manipulative ability meant to go straight into his own mind, this also able to be done as he was holding her stare.
The black clad form was standing now, holding his side, "Kill that infidel! Kill him! Your lord commands you!"
An eye-roll from the schoolgirl would break her power for the briefest of instances. If Caleb was quick he could take advantage of it.
The sound of engines was faint but now also heard, hovering above them was a form in black and silver armor, a red visor scanning over the area. "Mel! What… " No questions came as the man in black was raising an axe, MACH-IV's left arm rose up and some darts launched from it sailing off towards the man covered in shadow and ebony robes.
Solaro was straightening up, popping his back. His face was turning red, obviously he had lost his cool and the angrier he was getting the more fire was enveloping his body.
Caleb yells in pain when the girl forces him to feel agony, the only way he manages to take advantage of the eye roll is by falling backwards to avoid making eyecontact with her again, he phases as he tries to get to his feet in an attempt to make his mind harder to get hold of.
The fall wasn't graceful by any means but Solaro made a nice cushion for the main impact before she rolled to her side and was pushing up to all fours, resting there with her head hanging to regain her breath in large even intakes and exhales. The black clad form found what he was looking for in his leap, the solid bubble cracking slightly before it spiderwebbed outward and then caved in in the area he had struck, permitting him an exit from the sonic bubble. The shattering sound of it was enough to get her attention if the hair singeing temperature coming from Solaro did not, causing her to push to a stand faster and form back her wings, taking to the air to get off the level with one newly freed and both of them likely very pissed off at her. Hopefully, Solaro would follow as she arched closer towards the ninja in time to see Abe fly past. "Nice of you to join me. I found us some fun!"
"You can't run silly boy. I am in your mind… do you think I'm so simple." The evil girl in the school outfit kept her hold on him, once more that surge of pain would be pressed towards him. "Such a delicious brain, maybe I should pluck it like a chicken. What little secrets do you know… Caleb.. a student of Barnes what is Barnes?, oh lovely, give me more… SHIELD why would they back? You? So very yummy… Yes you are in trouble." The girls hands rose up and she stretched her fingers out, in Caleb's mind her presence would grow larger, her eyes seeming to be the only beacons of light in the darkness.
Around them, people had already scattered in terror and began running away the instant Furtrap had been turned into a crackling inferno. Solaro was not in a frame of mind for talking now profanity was spewing from him as he mindlessly launched himself into the sky and after Songbird. Jets of flame launched after her one after another. Sirens were now heard somewhere blocks away.
The ninja was free, his electricity was crackling around him again getting ready to launch off towards MACH-IV who sailed around the first bolt, "I can't completely say this is my idea of fun, Meli… Songbird but I am glad to see you in your costume perhaps this means you are taking me up on the offer? You're rejoining us?"
Those darts earlier fired by MACH-IV disintegrated in the air crumbling into dust as the shadows wrapped forward shielding the black clad man who was ranting,"Kill them all, kill the filthy heathens! They are unworthy of life! I demand you destroy them!"
MACH-IV dipped behind the corner of a building the electric blasts fired by Shadowvolt danced across it, the low conductivity and resistance it possessed making it harmless currents that dissipate. Not that Abe was too concerned with his new armors abilities but he liked the cautious route with new 'enemies'. In flight he swept down firing mercy rounds in a spray at the 'ninja' who manages to evade once again, dashing towards the shadows of an alleyway. "Slippery target ain't he." MACH-IV observes.
Songbird was glancing back over her shoulder at Solaro who was in hot pursuit. This was like COPS for the super humans if it was broken down to narrative, but again she was finding herself in a place where she was on the side of good and was enjoying the feel of it despite the overwhelming odds of bad ranked up against her right now. "What would you find more invigorating then this Mach?! Really.. I am only here to help…" Though through the flight that had her cutting through the air and swerving towards the left to avoid a blast of fire she looked down in time to see the ninja disappear. Damn, this changed things, and she had confidence that Mach could handle him now. Her flight path changed now for that of the mind bending girl that seemed to have someone in her sights, sweeping low at a high speed and aiming directly for her with blind rage in the form of fire at her heels. At the last minute the wings opened up to cut her off from ground and body smashing impact to lift her back into the air and hopefully leaving Solaro to meet his teammate in a head on collision.
Caleb steps backwards freaking out, and avoiding eyecontact, whoever this girl is, shes in his head, don't think about anything important to you or things you shouldn't think about, of course then anything and everything in those categories goes flying though his mind as the girl begins to grow, he focuses and his palms begin to glow violet.
Abruptly the school girl with the twisted Abyss-black mind is ripped from Caleb's mental sphere with a sharp cry of pain all her own. Slamming head first into her and flipping, tumbling and rolling past across the cement in slaps is Solaro, led into a collision by Songbirds actions. The girl groans as she lays in a now unconscious sprawl.
Solaro is weekly begins to stand until MACH-IV changes his own flight path to land, an armored fist that strikes with the sound of a hammer on an anvil erupting, the berserk pyromaniac as put down with a violent punch.
That mad man in the black had vanished along side Shadowvolt, leaving behind the fallen and unconscious school girl and now Solaro. With the psychic girl out, Caleb was free.
MACH-IV picks up Solaro by the scruff and he moves towards Caleb and the fallen girl, kneeling down to turn the unconscious female over, "I am guessing that was intentional to lead him into this er school girl, Songbird? If so, nicely done. " Dropping Solaro on the cement beside his fallen teammate. "We need to get the wounded to the hospital, we move faster than the ambulances will get here but without the cops we can't leave just yet… or at least one of us can't." His speech breaks as he notices Caleb, "It's okay kid, you're safe now. Maybe you can stay and give the police a statement if you're doing alright? "Not realizing Caleb was a super-powered individual himself, nor having seen anything he had done during the fighting.
"Thanks." Songbird was coming back down to land just behind Mach and cast her gaze towards Caleb with a swift, yet knowing study. She saw the purple energy, and why else would they focus on him if he had not interfered? Questions perhaps for a later time she was already heading for Furtrap but paused by Cyborga, lowering to a crouch at her side to at least take a quick visual of her vitals. One hand pressed over her face as she feared even looking towards Furtrap for a moment, knowing she got to him late, hoping she got to him in some form of time to save his life. "You okay to handle the cops.. Mach?" She was still trying to remember to call by one name, hesitating at that and the oddness of it all. "I can carry them to the hospital and be back to help with cleanup." She had asked but already she was forming the solid sound platform beneath Cyborga and another beneath Furtrap. Looking over towards Caleb again she said nothing but offered a small fleeting smile before it was swept away with the look of the surroundings, the terrified slowly peering back out to see the end-scene. "We could have gotten them all if there were more of us…" She didn't like that two got away.
Caleb breathes a sigh of relief and the glow fades when the girl is knocked out and the fight ends, when asked if he could give a statement by this Mach guy he takes a step back, "Thanks for the help, but I've got curfew and i really can't be seen here", and he really doesn't wanna get caught up with the police.
"I can handle the cops. Just get those two to the hospital as quickly as you can… that's more important right now, honestly." MACH's hand rose up and he places it on Songbirds shoulder. "This was nice wasn't it? Like the old team again even if the others weren't here… and Atlas should be here soon with the T-Bird. That's something right?" His helmet turns towards Caleb, offering silence for a moment before he speaks,"I think this is a little more important than curfew don't you? You might have just been witness to a murder."
Songbird paused when Caleb spoke up about a curfew. She underestimated age, or he just had some really strict parents. A dark brow lifted and she nodded to him while speaking. "Call the 'rents or whatever kid, let em know you'll be a bit late perhaps? Once done I can be sure you get home alright." The smile towards Caleb was meant to be somewhat comforting but it seemed to become crippled with the placement of Abe's hand on her shoulder, though it returned after she turned away with a nod. Confused and hiding it horribly, way to go. "Nice, will just take some getting used to." Without any further words she stood on the platform over Cyborga and lifted both her's and Furtrap's into the air, taking off towards the hospital at a fast speed.
"Sorry i really gotta go, but they've sent someone already, they always do", with that Caleb turns and phases though the wall, encase there's an attempt to stop him.
MACH watches her go until he hears Caleb's voice, turning around quickly with the clattering sounds of his armor one hand up and reaching out for where the Barnes Academy student had been. "Hey kid wait a minute this is serious!" Nothing but air as he touched the wall, then the opposite sending out a quick scan he was unable to locate the escaping teenager. "Dammit… never a dull moment." Returning to his guard over the two bodies as two police cruisers slam into park men rushing out, one of his hands raise. "Officers! Over here… " Abe was happy, the Thunderbolts truly were returning.
